The Lille Guide

Welcome to Lille

Lille, just a couple of hours train journey away from London, though may be French, is also the old capital of Flanders. Her heritage has seen her as Flemish, Burgundian, Spanish, Dutch, French, German, French, German and French again. Yet, Lille retains an instrinsic Flemish flavour both in her cuisine, her architecture and even in the Ch’ti accent of the locals.

The city offers a fascinating day trip or short break for shoppers, culture vultures and gastronomes. And if you fall into any of those categories then everything you will ever need to know about how to get there, where to shop, where to eat, sleep and sightsee, is just a click or two away. It’s all right here on this website and designed to help you get the most out of your daytrip, short break or shopping spree in Lille. This site is updated regularly, so be sure to make Lille-guide your first port of call.

Shopping in Lille

Lille is a university town and as such the 200,000 population is mostly under the age of 30. The shopping here reflects that. There are several funky shops that sell gifts ideally suited for weddings and house warmings, as well as gorgeous boutiques selling beautiful and sometimes querky homewares. Artisans sell their wares and an eclectic mix of fashion outlets range from designer names to tiny boutiques. When it comes to shopping, Lille does it with style.

Restaurants in Lille

Flemish culture plays a strong role in the cuisine available in Lille. Take a look at the menus and any items with tongue twisting names will be of Flemish origin. There are brasseries and gastronomic restaurants as well as tea rooms, but be sure not to leave Lille without having tried an estaminet.

Hotels in Lille

From classy hotels, apartments to canal side boats, Lille offers a diverse collection of accommodation.

Things to to and see in Lille

Lille old town is quite simply gorgeous. Walk its streets, take time to look at its architecture and to walk along its cobbled streets. Start at Grand’ Place – the main market square, and take it from there taking it as many of the sights we have suggested here.

Night Life in Lille

Be sure to stay up late as Lille is a young city and as a result there is ample nocturnal entertainment to suite everyone. Funky bars galore, night clubs, saucy shows and cabarets all jostle for your attention.